


Hens and Chicks

by Hock_hug



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not Hockey Players, Claude Giroux is a succulent, Mild Angst, Multi, Nolan’s Rosy Cheeks, Pining, TK needs a nap, Wayne Simmonds is mentioned bc I miss him, coffee shop AU, except they’re requited, flower shop au, there is an anxiety attack in the last chapter, unrequited feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 22:02:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18270119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hock_hug/pseuds/Hock_hug
Summary: Travis Konecny can’t make coffee





	Hens and Chicks

Travis stumbled into his shop yawning, rubbing his eyes, and wishing he could get another hour of sleep. Alas, he only had an hour until his shop opened, and he needed to prepare. It was the first day he’d be open all year, his spring inventory finally ready to go, and he couldn’t be happier. He couldn’t be any more nervous, either, but he opted to ignore that. This would also be his first season in this particular shop. He worked with Wayne for two years before Wayne packed up and moved to Nashville, so he had to get used to having a shop all to himself pretty quickly. 

It took him fifteen minutes to conclude that he could not function without coffee. He thought about going back up to his apartment and brewing some of his shitty (probably burnt) coffee, but then he looked at the coffeehouse across the street and made up his mind. It was his grand opening, he deserved a nice cup of drinkable coffee. He pulled himself together enough to get out of the building and lock up behind himself and get across the street. Opening the door to the coffeehouse proved to be too much (push, not pull, dumbass), but seeing the cutest barista known to man laugh at him made it all worth it. Travis felt a blush creep up his cheeks, though the barista’s cheeks were also quite rosy, so he didn’t worry about it too much. 

“That happens at least twice a day, don’t worry about it, dude. What can I get for you?” Rosy Cheeks asked in a surprisingly familiar accent. 

“Are you Canadian?” Travis blurted before he could think better of it. Luckily for him, Rosy Cheeks just smiled and nodded. 

“Yeah, I moved here for college. You?”

“Same, actually.” Travis smiled back before realizing that he should probably actually order something. “Could I please get a dirty chai and a chocolate chip scone?”

“Coming right up.”

Travis watched as Rosy Cheeks- Nolan, his name tag read- made his drink with a practiced efficiency. He could feel the beginnings of a crush stir up in his gut, butterflies in his stomach, and he knew he’d be getting coffee from here whenever he could. 

“Alright, one chocolate chip scone and one dirty chai for…” Nolan’s voice brought Travis out of his thoughts, and he grabbed the items Nolan held out to him. 

“Travis. Uh, Travis Konecny, so my friends call me TK. I own the flower shop across the street. If you ever need flowers or whatever, feel free to swing by.” By now, Travis figured that his face was bright red, but Nolan didn’t notice, or didn’t mind because he laughed and nodded. 

“If I ever need flowers, I’ll definitely buy from you, for sure,” Nolan said, a twinkle in his eyes. “And if you ever need coffee, you should get it here.”

“Trust me, I will.” Travis didn’t want to think about the cheap coffee pot on his counter. He could make coffee, but it was never that good. “I should get going, the shop opens in a few. I’ll see you around.” Travis raised his hand in what had to have been the most awkward wave of all time. 

“See ya, TK.” Nolan returned the awkward wave with a small smile, and Travis left the shop with butterflies in his stomach and a bounce in his step, even though he hadn’t taken a sip of his drink.

-

Travis loved the spring. He loved being able to open his windows, both in his apartment and in the shop, he loved the fresh air and the sunlight, so whenever he got the chance, he opened every window around him. He worked around his shop, putting up displays of daisies and succulents, watering plants, and enjoying the breeze that came in through the windows. It was calming, so he was understandably startled when someone called his name. 

“Hey, TK!”

Travis jumped, knocking over a pot. 

“Shit, sorry man, I didn’t mean to spook you.” Nolan stood outside of his shop, looking sheepish. Travis couldn’t find it in himself to be angry, so he just laughed. 

“It’s fine. Come on in, I’m not open yet but the door’s unlocked.”

Nolan came in and turned around a few times as he took the shop in. 

“What all do you sell? I thought this was just a flower shop.” Travis shrugged. 

“It’s really more of a small garden shop, but that doesn’t have the same ring to it, you know? I have succulents, herbs, vegetables, bush fruits, small trees, along with the flowers.” Travis gestured around the shop as he explained. “I started with just flowers, but it just didn’t seem like enough.”

Nolan nodded along, looking at the different sections of the shop as Travis named them. 

“I’ll be honest, I know absolutely nothing about plants except that they need water and sunlight, and that I kill every single one I touch.” Nolan seemed kind of sad about the fact, and TK didn’t like that at all, so he grabbed one of the pots closest to him. 

“This is a hens and chicks succulent. She’s a hardy one, I’m sure you could keep it alive.” Travis offered the pot to Nolan, who took it and looked it over as Travis messed around with the other succulent pots. “Hens and chicks do well in direct sunlight to partial shade, so just throw it somewhere outside where it’ll get a lot of sun. They also need well drained soil, so you’ll notice that the soil in the pot is sandy and has some rocks. You still need to water it, but you don’t have to really worry about underwatering it, since it’s a drought plant. You also don’t need to worry about overwatering, as long as the soil is dry whenever you water it and it drains well enough.” 

Travis finally looked up at Nolan and was surprised to find him looking back, wearing a soft smile, a blush decorating his cheeks. 

“I might be able to keep this one alive, then. I’d say you know a lot about these things, but I guess you have to with your job. How much is it?”

“Free, for you.” It was only $2, but Travis knew he wouldn’t make Nolan pay for anything. It wasn’t like he’d lose his business over one little succulent, and it was worth the way Nolan smiled at him. 

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna take this if it’ll mess up your business.”

“I’m sure, as long as you keep me updated on how it’s doing.” Nolan nodded and pulled his phone, unlocking it and handing it to Travis. 

“Put your number in and I’ll send you updates.” Travis did as much and handed Nolan’s phone back. “I have to get ready to work, I’ll see you around?”

“For sure.” Travis was disappointed to see Nolan leave, but happy to know that he’d hear from him again soon. 

He went about his day, tending to his plants and sales and everyone that walked through his doors. By the time he locked up the shop, he nearly forgot about Nolan and his succulent. After eating a late dinner and getting ready for bed, he finally checked his phone. Nolan had sent a picture of the succulent, still in its pot, sitting on what he assumed was Nolan’s balcony, along with an orange heart and a smiley face. Travis smiled at the image as his heart was filled with warmth, and he sent an orange heart and a leaf back before tucking himself into bed and falling into a deep, restful sleep. 

Chapter 2

Travis woke up before his alarm, surprisingly well rested. All the same, he knew he wouldn’t make it through the morning without caffeine, so he got ready to make his way across the street. He put on one of his nicer casual shirts and shorts that weren’t wrinkled and tried not to question why before making his way down from his apartment and out the front. He walked through the door of the coffeehouse expecting a similar situation as the last time he came in, but was surprised to find someone behind the counter with Nolan. The guy had to be about the same age as Nolan, and the two of them were the same height. Nolan was wiping down the counter when Travis approached it, and he smiled when he finally noticed who had come in. 

“TK, what’s up man? What can I get for you?” At the sound of Nolan’s voice, the other worker turned, and Travis was hit by how cute he was, which was extremely unfair. What was more unfair was the way the other guy, whose name tag read “Carter” with a little orange heart by it, threw his arm around Nolan’s waist in a way that was too familiar for it to be an uncommon occurrence, and the was Nolan leaned into it. 

“TK? You must be the not-flower shop guy that Nols got his plant from. I’m Carter, Nolan’s roommate.” The two of them shared a look, and Travis had a feeling that “roommate” wasn’t the full extent of Carter’s relationship with Nolan, and he tried to crush the wave of disappointment that washed over him. He hadn’t known Nolan long at all, but he had still hoped… well, it didn’t matter anymore. 

“Hey Carter, it’s nice to meet you.” Travis was surprised that even through his disappointment, he wasn’t lying. Carter seemed nice enough, and Travis was happy that Nolan had someone like that in his life. 

“Now that introductions are over, what can I get you?” Nolan asked, obviously amused. 

“Uh, may I please have a lavender mocha?” 

“For sure. Anything else today?” Nolan asked as he rang him up and Carter got started on his order. 

“Nah, that’s good enough for today.” Travis pulled out his wallet only for Nolan to shake his head. 

“Don’t worry about it, it’s on the house.” Travis opened his mouth to argue, only for both Carter and Nolan to stare him down. He conceded, though as soon as they weren’t looking, he slipped $10 in the tip jar. It didn’t take long for Carter to finish his drink, and he didn’t have too much of a reason to linger, so he left with a wave and two “goodbyes” and made his way back to his shop.

With his head in the cloud for the rest of the day, Travis didn’t get much done. By the time his work day was over, he was more than ready to just fall into bed and sleep the night away. He was happy for Nolan, really, and Carter too, but it just sucked that they had each other to hold at night and his bed was cold. Eventually, he checked his phone to see that Nolan sent him another picture of his succulent on his (and Carter’s) balcony. He sent back a thumbs up in response and laid down on his bed with a sigh. Maybe he just didn’t deserve nice things. Maybe someone just as cute as Carter or Nolan would walk in his shop tomorrow, and he’d get another chance. Maybe he just needed to sleep it off. He’d get over them soon enough, he’d have to.

-

He didn’t go back to the coffeehouse after that. He dealt with his burnt coffee and the early mornings and his empty apartment just like he had before Nolan. Sometimes Nolan would text and ask him when he was going to come in, and every time he made up some dumb excuse that he knew Nolan would be able to see through and ignored the cold gnawing at his stomach. He just figured that staying away from the coffeehouse, and staying away from Carter and Nolan, would be for the best, and would help him get over them. Unfortunately, his brain seemed to have other plans, as the two of them always seemed to be on his mind. Nolan kept sending pictures of the succulent (which he named Claude, with a Canadian pronunciation according to one text), and he must’ve given his number to Carter because Travis had gotten a text from a number that claimed to be Carter with a picture of Nolan watering Claude, which just about destroyed Travis. Travis, who just so happened to forget that Nolan and Carter knew where he worked, so he was suitably surprised when Carter came through his doors one day. 

“Hey man, long time no see!” Carter greeted him as soon as he entered the doors. “We miss you across the street, you should come by and get something sometime soon. We’ll even let you pay this time!” Before Travis could respond, Carter started wandering around until he came to the succulent section. Picking up a pot, he asked, “Is this what you gave Nolan? I want to get him another one, he loves the one you got him so much.”

“Yeah.” Travis nodded. “That’s a hens and chicks, but that one actually has the chicks.” 

He walked over to where Carter was standing and pointed out the smaller succulents in the pot. 

“Those are the chicks. They’re growths from the original succulent. You can break them off and replant them, if you want, or you can just leave them.” Carter nodded and held the pot closer.

“How much?”

“Free.” Travis didn’t hesitate, again. If it made Nolan and Carter happy, they shouldn’t have to pay for it. Travis would never make them. In that moment, he knew he was well and truly fucked. Carter didn’t put up a fight, he just took the succulent and walked to the door. Before he left, he turned around and looked at Travis for a moment.

“You should really come by. Nolan misses you, and he’s not the only one.” And with that, he was gone, and Travis knew he was losing this fight. He was never winning it in the first place. 

Chapter 3

It took a week and a half for Travis to finally crack and walk across the street. His stomach dropped when he saw Nolan behind the counter, his shoulders slumped and his usual smile missing. He caught Carter’s eye when he walked in and was somewhat relieved to see him light up, and he hoped for a similar response from Nolan. 

He was in luck because the instant Nolan saw him his entire demeanor brightened.

“Teeks! Man, what’s up? Where’ve you been?” Nolan was practically bouncing on his toes. “I- We missed you around here.” The last part he said softer, as if admitting a secret guilt, and Travis was immediately filled with regret. How could he think he’d just walk out of their lives?

“Sorry, I promise I’ll never be gone that long again. I’ve just been working through some… stuff. I guess.” Travis shrugged, hoping Nolan wouldn’t push it. Nolan sure looked like he wanted to.

“I know we aren’t super close, but you’re my friend. OUR friend. You can always talk to us if you need to.” Nolan looked more serious than Travis had ever seen him.

“For sure, man.” Carter leaned against the counter next to Nolan. “We’ll be here for you.”

Travis felt his eyes burn a bit as he realized that they really were his friends, and probably his only ones since Wayne moved, and he barely even knew them. He sighed and cleared his throat. 

“Thanks, guys. I promise I’ll be a better friend, and I’m sorry for not coming over sooner.” He glanced at Carter and was greeted with a gentle smile. 

“It’s fine, just don’t pull that shit again. Now, what can we get you today?” 

“Surprise me.” Travis didn’t particularly want coffee, but he trusted Nolan and Carter to not give him poison in a coffee cup, and he didn’t want to leave quite yet. 

He asked Nolan about his succulents while Carter made his drink and reveled in the way he lit up as he talked about them. When Carter held his drink out he didn’t want to take it, he didn’t want to leave, but he accepted the drink with a quiet “thank you” and made his way to the door. 

“Teeks.”

Travis turned to see both Nolan and Carter looking at him somberly. 

“Thanks for coming over,” Carter said. “Please come back soon.” Travis smiled at him and nodded. 

“I will.”

-

Travis got rid of his coffee pot one day on a whim. He hadn’t used it for two months, and he figured that at this point, he really didn’t need it. He was a regular at the coffeehouse, he was in nearly every day. He was also texting Carter and Nolan regularly, and they’d hung out at his apartment a few times. It hurt less than he expected it to when they had cuddled on his couch, wrapped around each other as a mindless movie played on his tv. It still hurt, of course. He couldn’t help but wish that he could be a part of it, that he could hold them and that they could hold him and that everything would be okay. He couldn’t ever imagine splitting the two of them up, they were just too good together, and truthfully, he wouldn’t want one without the other. He had come to terms with the fact that he loved them both, and he resigned himself to being on the sidelines of their relationship. He didn’t mind too much though, not really. Seeing Nolan and Carter happy made him happy. Seeing them happy together still made him happy, even if it stung. All the same, he was grateful for their friendship and the fact that he was a part of their life at all. 

Of course, he couldn’t be happy forever. He just wasn’t that lucky. He was working when he got he text. 

11:02  
Carter 🧡

hey can we come over tonite?

Travis sighed and sent back an affirmative. He would probably close the shop early today, it was slow and he was tired. 5:00 rolled around and he flipped the sign of his door to ‘CLOSED’ and texted Carter and Nolan to come over. It took them fifteen minutes, and Travis wished he’d known that those would be the last peaceful minutes he’d have for a while because he would’ve done something other than stand in his shop, waiting for chaos to come. 

Carter and Nolan showed up in a whirlwind of thin crust pizza, home baked cookies, and happy chatter. Travis’s chest felt tight as soon as they walked through the door. He liked seeing them together in his space a little too much, and as they got dinner set up he got lost in his head, imagining them eating together every night. He imagined them in his space, in his life, in his bed together, but with him too. Nolan got him out of his head when he grabbed Travis’s hand and dragged him to where they put the pizza. 

“We got pepperoni because you mentioned liking it, and Nols made the cookies himself this afternoon.” Carter seemed to glow in front of him as he gestured to the food and Travis felt himself fall a bit more in love with him. He glanced over at Nolan, whose cheeks were just as rosy as ever, and smiled. 

“They look delicious, Nol. I can’t wait to try one.” Nolan beamed at him, his entire being lighting up at the praise. Travis quickly looked away, grabbing a plate and trying to ignore the way his stomach was fluttering. 

They moved to Travis’s couch with their food, except Carter sat on the right side of the couch, and Nolan sat on the left. Travis cautiously sat between them and turned the tv on. As they watched the show, Travis relaxed and Carter and Nolan moved closer until they were both cuddled up against him. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever. Travis lost track of time as they sat there, the warmth of the bodies next to him lulling him into a peaceful state. His mind was quiet and he was comfortable and kind of tired and he probably wasn’t thinking straight because when Nolan shifted against him Travis turned and kissed him square on lips. 

The world seemed to still for a moment before everything hit Travis at once. He was kissing Nolan. Carter’s boyfriend. While he was sitting right next to Carter. And Nolan was kissing him back. He pulled back with a start and stumbled away from the couch. Nolan looked at him, face flushed and eyes glazed. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Carter before he rushed to his room, nearly tripping over his feet in the process. 

He closed his door with shaking hands and sat on his bed, his head in his hands. He couldn’t quite breathe, couldn’t quite get enough air in. He’d ruined everything. How could he have kissed Nolan with his boyfriend literally right next to them? Tears burned his eyes and his stomach clenched. 

What the hell did he do?

Chapter 4

His entire body was shaking. His chest was tight, his lungs burned, his face was wet, and his heart hurt. He’d ruined the best friendships he’d ever had because he wasn’t fucking thinking and he had been doing so well not letting his feelings get the best of him but he let them get close and he was so fucking stupid how could he—

Travis was snapped out of his thoughts by the feeling of hands on his shoulders. He looked up to find Carter standing over him, Nolan looking over his shoulder. They were both talking, saying something softly but Travis couldn’t comprehend anything. He jerked away from the touch, ready to run out of his own damn house. He just wanted to curl up and sleep for a few years, to get away from them, to get away from his dumbass decision to fucking kiss Nolan. 

“I’m sorry,” he gasped, his voice wrecked. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, god, I’m so fucking sorry.” His voice cracked as he dissolved into ugly sobbing. Carter moved towards him again and pushed him back on his bed and crawled up after him until he was holding Travis in his lap, back to chest, as he leaned against his headboard. 

“Shh, Teeks, Trav, you’re okay. You’re okay.” Carter hushed him gently, pulling him against his chest as Nolan crawled on the bed and knelt in front of him. Travis squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breathe through his crying, tried to pull himself together so he could pull away until he felt gentle tears on his cheeks, wiping his tears away. He opened his eyes to the sight of Nolan smiling at him. He had a tissue in his hand and he gently wiped Travis’s face with it. When he was done, he tossed it in the trash next to Travis’s nightstand. Travis couldn’t help but wonder what he did to deserve such care after what he did. 

“It really is okay, Teeks. We’re okay. It’s okay.” Nolan places his hand on Travis’s cheek and he leaned into it, his sobs quieting. “I liked it. I’m happy you kissed me. You’re okay.”

“But, but Carter—“

“It’s really okay.” Carter interrupted, gently shifting Travis so he could look him in the eyes. “We’ve been talking about it since you gave him that first succulent. He wants you. We want you.” Carter blushed but his gaze never wavered. He moved one of his hand to Travis’s cheek, and time seemed to slow as he kissed Travis, soft and gentle. When Carter pulled back, Travis’s head was swimming and he had a hard time believing that this was reality. He turned back to Nolan, looking for answers, only for Nolan to chastely kiss him as well. 

“Really? You’re both okay with it?” Travis couldn’t help but ask, sounding and feeling quite small. 

“Not only are we okay with it,” Nolan started before kissing one of Travis’s cheeks. 

“We want it, and have for a while.” Carter finished, kissing his other cheek. “Of course, we’ll have to talk more about it, but we can do that later. Tomorrow even. Right now, I think we all need a little rest.” 

Travis couldn't help but agree, and he shifted off of Carter so he could lay down. Carter pulled him into his arms and he settled there when he felt Nolan curl up against his back. He didn’t fall asleep, and neither did they, but he soaked up their affection until he was almost too tired to deal with the mess downstairs. Once the pizza box was taken care of and their plates were cleaned and put away, they found themselves in the same position as earlier, this time under the covers, and Travis finally fell asleep to the sound of Carter and Nolan breathing. 

-

They talked the next day. They talked, and talked, and talked until Travis needed to open the shop. Then they talked until his first customer came in, and they talked again when she left. Travis explained how he had caught feelings for Nolan when he first came to the coffeehouse, and then with Carter the first time he’d seen him. Carter explained how happy Nolan had been when he was able to keep a plant alive, and how happy that had made him in turn. He talked about how Nolan would always worry about texting him, about how much he himself wanted to get to know Travis, about how he knew Travis would be good for them both when they had first talked. Nolan talked about how Travis pulled the push door and said please when he ordered his drink, about Claude and how much the plant meant, about how afraid he was to tell Carter about how much he cared about Travis. They talked about how Nolan and Carter agreed that Travis made them both happy and how much they liked him, about how they agreed to talk to him if he seemed receptive. They talked about the kiss, about how Nolan liked it, about how Carter liked watching it happen, though he had wished to get a chance to kiss Travis too before he ran off. By the time they were done talking about them as an item, it was time to close the shop again. 

“Will you guys come up?” Travis asked. “We can order takeout.” Nolan and Carter agreed happily, and they spent the rest of the night in each other’s orbits until they fell asleep in each other’s arms, completely at peace.


End file.
